Again, PDP-Laban proves to be the most organized group in Bohol that consistently placed their standard-bearer, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, on the top spot in radio surveys.
The DYRD radio survey was conducted in relation to the first Presidential debate held in Cagayan de Oro City and aired through GMA TV open channel on February 21.
The radio survey over DYRD-Inyong Alagad public affairs program on Monday received 62 votes from callers going for Duterte for president.
At least 26 of the callers preferred Liberal Party’s Mar Roxas, the former secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government—the department at the executive branch that has the widest coverage.
In the DYRD-Inyong Alagad, Senator Grace Poe of Partido Galing at Puso tied with Vice President Jejomar Binay of UNA, getting four votes each.
The punchline queen, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, got one vote.
In the effort for transparent votes, DYRD only considered phone-in votes and text votes channeled through the Txklamo Center—the top feedback forum in Bohol—were excluded.
In the text votes, Roxas topped, followed by Duterte, then Poe.
The Binay group in Bohol started early wherein local government units had received assistance even years before the 2010 elections which could be attributed for his win in 2010.
However, the group only matured for the preparations for the May 2016 elections after Second District Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado openly expressed support for the vice president.
After Aumentado announced his support for Binay during the foundation day of Buenavista, his leaders who used to align with Duterte pulled out from the local campaign group of the latter.
Sources from the Duterte group, however, had already accumulated grassroots support prior to the pullout of Aumentado leaders and even drawing solid back-up from influential sectors.
A source from the Roxas group, on the other hand, hinted that the recent visit of LP vice presidential bet, Camarines Sur representative Leni Robredo, will soon stabilize the clout of the administration’s party in the province.
The term limit extension for barangay officials contained in Robredo’s House Bill has been attributed for the administration party’s advantage to the barangay leaders.
Robredo announced during her visit in Bohol as keynote speaker of the Barangay Day at Bohol Wisdom School last Saturday that her bill had already been approved at the House committee level and is now up for approval.
Barangays are also assured of additional assistance in the programs that LP candidates have prepared for implementation if they get the top posts in the May elections.
Last Sunday’s first round of the Presidential Debate had also helped the administration party draw appreciation for the accomplishments of President Aquino’s Daang Matuwid slogan, despite the vague elaboration of Roxas.
During the debate, Poe proved that years in government service is never a measure of experience to be able to come up with fresh proposals to old problems and drew admiration for her composure amid personality attack from rivals and managed to focus on logical arguments.
However, Poe has no campaign group dishing out for her advantage in local surveys.
Her points only went to the intellectuals, while the grassroots sector remains with Duterte.
Duterte also drew admiration for the gentlemanly act he extended to Defensor-Santiago after the debate that was shown on TV.
Other reactions gathered through the feedback center of DYRD had it that Defensor-Santiago has maintained the wit in her statements, although very general this time.
Only Binay flunked in the Boholano public assessment on his arguments during the debate.